1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and a method of controlling the information processing apparatus, and more particularly, to an information processing apparatus and a method of controlling the information processing apparatus characterized by techniques of security measures taken when an image displayed on a display is output to an external device, or inversely, an image displayed on the external device is output to the display, as well as a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program for executing the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, it becomes possible to display a desktop screen of one computer on another computer via a network by making use the following software: VNC (Virtual Network Computing: AT & T Cambridge Research Laboratory), Remote Assistance by Microsoft Corporation, Desktop on Call by IMB, and so forth, for example. Many of the above-mentioned software cause the desktop screen to be displayed on the other computer, while ensuring security by requesting a password for authentication at the time of connection to the one computer (see e.g. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-66826).
Further, in recent years, a character input technique referred to as a virtual keyboard, a screen keyboard, or a software keyboard has been realized, and there are cases where a password or information having high security is input using such a keyboard.
For example, many of PDAs are not provided with a keyboard as hardware due to mechanical restrictions, and hence a virtual keyboard on which the alphabetic keys are arranged is displayed on a touch panel LCD, and desired characters are entered by operating this virtual keyboard.
On the other hand, in a general personal computer or the like having a keyboard as hardware, if a virtual keyboard is displayed on a display thereof, it is also possible to select desired ones from the alphabetic keys displayed thereon with a mouse. Therefore, it is possible to achieve character entry only by operating the mouse.
For example, on such a virtual keyboard, it is general that highlighting of each selected key or like processing is performed so as to enable pressing of the key to be easily recognized.
Now, when a virtual keyboard is used in such a state in which the desktop screen is open to the outside, highlighting of the selected key can be viewed on the external device. Insofar as ordinary text input is concerned, there is no problem. However, if character entry is performed for the purpose of inputting a password or the like, there is a possibility of occurrence of a problem that security cannot be assured.
To cope with this problem, in a situation where security is required to be ensured, e.g. at the time of inputting a password or the like, it is a conventional practice not to permit the desktop screen to be open to the outside for security assurance (see e.g. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-284375).
However, when a password is input, by displaying a screen of a computer (local computer) on an external computer (remote computer), the software keyboard is displayed for an input operation. Then, highlighting of a key occurring as a response to pressing of the key performed for inputting the password is displayed on the display of the local computer. As a result, the password which is being input from the remote computer can be viewed on the display of the local computer, which brings about a security problem.